Means for splicing electrical conductors



April 19, 1949. y T. A. SANDERS 2,467,913 MEANS- FOR SPLICING' ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS y Filed Nv. 2o. 1945 iwf/1255s.-

WM F/6.9.

72077245 Sauv/5 3.5%., fram/fk Patented Apr. 19, 1949 UNITEo sTATas PATENT 'OFFICE MEANS FOR SPLICING ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS Thomas A. Sanders, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application November 20, 1945, Serial No. 629,873

l 4 Claims. This invention relates to splicing electric conductors, and more specifically, to splices made with pressed connectors.

Heretofore, sleeve connectors of the compression type for splicing electric conductors have used a cylindrical sleeve in which two aligned single conductors'are disposed butt toward butt. In these splices, at least two indentations are made for eachv conductor, and the sleeves are accordingly made long enough for at least four indentations. The resulting splice is therefore excessive in length with consequent waste of labor, tape and space. Furthermore, the connectors and compression tools presently available are not designed to unite .more than two conductors in a single splice.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a compression splice of greatly reduced length.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multiple compression splice, i. e. one in which two or more conductors are joined with one or more additional conductors by means of a single connector.

A further object of my invention is to provide a generally oblong compression sleeve of conducting metal.

Still another object of the invention is to pro- `vide an lndenting tool capable of producing a strong permanent compression splice of good electrical conductivity.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent from the ensuing description and claims, the following sets forth the details of construction and combination of parts of a specific embodiment of my invention which I illustrate as an example, and which will best be understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a fragmentary view,.partly in section, showing two conductors spliced according to my invention.

V the position of the tool jaws with respect to the sleeve and conductor end assembly, while making the indentation.

Referring to the drawing. Fig. l shows the ends III, Ill of solid conductors from which the insulation has been stripped, positioned adjacent and parallel to each other in lapped relation. A sleeve II of ductile metal of good electric conductivity, such as copper, of generally oblong shape, -encircles the lapped ends I0. Two transverse in dentations I2 are formed in the flat of the sleeve II and two indentations I3 are formed in the ends I 5 by the jaws I4 and I5 of a compression tool I5.

Fig. 2 shows a multiple splice- 20 comprising I the ends 2|, 2| of conductors of equal size connected to the end 22 of a third conductor of larger gage within a sleeve 23, with transverse primary indentations 24. The sleeve 23 is of such Fig. 2 is a view of my splice showingtwo conductors vof egual size connected to a conductor of larger size. Y

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic transverse sectional view illustrating the conductor ends of the splice of Fig. 2 in assembly position before compressing. Fig-4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2

showing the indentations in one conductor and dimensions relative to the row of conductor ends 2I, 2 I, and 22 that, before compression, said ends iit easily in the sleeve without excessive looseness,

as `illustrated in Fig. 3. Y,

Fig. 8 illustrates the shape of jaws I4 and I5y of the compression tool I6 which is arranged for power operation or hand operation by compound leverage (not illustrated)` of the usual type well known in the art. The lower jaw I4 is stepped transversely to provide a primary indenter 32'of rectangular shape and a secondary indenter 33 of similar shape positioned adjacently thereto'but recessed below the indenter 32. The upper jaw I5 has indenters 34 and 35 complementary to indenters 32 and 33 and the tool I6 is constructed so that the indenters are in parallel planes ,when the jaws are in nal closed position, as illus. trated. Positioned inwardly of the indenters 32 and 34 are similarly shaped indenters of wider final separation for indenting a large size of sleeve. '.Ihe indenters are of sumcient length to span the full width of the widest sleeve intended to be used.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of part of the splice 20, showing the primary indentations 24, made bythe indenters 32 and 34, and secondary indent-ations 25 made bythe indenters 33 and 35. The position of the tool I6 in making the indentations 24 and 25 is shown in Fig. 9. The tool is placed on the sleeve 23 to one side of the center with the secondary indenters 33 and 35 toward the end of the sleeve and with the jaws ,either flush with the end ofthe sleeve or set back from the end as illustrated. l

For any combination of conductors and sleeve there is an optimum compression of the primary indenters which willl cause plastic llow of the metals of conductors and sleeve under these indenters into a solid metallic mass to give maximum tightness and permanence of the splice without overstraining the metals. The tool I6 is so designed that on` completion of compression there is la predetermined spacing ofthe jaws to give this result. The'tool I6 is provided with two sets of indenters giving optimum closure spacings for two different sleeve sizes. Additional tools may be provided for as many s leeye sizesA as desired.

The function of the secondary indenters is to restrain the tendency of the outer or end portion of the sleeve to bell outward while the deep indentation is being impressed by the primary indenters. I have found it desirable to space the secondary indenters so that they make a rel- -.,atively light indentation 25 which provides suiilcient mechan'ical-pv-restraint against transverse movement of `th'efi's'onductors within the sleeve @whichrmight otherwise tend to loosen or break roff;the ,;conductcds lunder the primary indentation 24. In an obvious manner primary and sec- .fgondary indentations are simultaneously formed with each loperation of the compression tool I6.

ip Thoughl have illustrated each of the secqondary indentations 25formed by the indenters 3S-and 35, `,as .qbeing sharply stepped from the primary indentation, it is obvious that the transitonfronrthe primary to the secondary indentation need not necessarily be abrupt, but instead maybe a gradual transition of any desired curvature.` Also, the secondary indentations are illustrated as being ilat and lying in a longitudinal plane. However, it is readily apparent that the desired purpose would also be ei'ectively accomplished ifk the secondary indentation were gradually sloped or' curved to decreasing depth away from the primary indentation. Furthermore, it is within the scope of my invention to provide a secondary indentation on either side of the primary indentation instead of to one side only as illustrated. This is accomplished either by reversing the tool I6 and reindenting with registration of the primary indenter in the primary indentation, or by providing indenting jaws having appropriate secondary indenters on either side of the primary indenters instead of on one side only.

Fig. illustrates a multiple splice of the ends 40, 4l] of four conductors of equal size in a sleeve 4i with three primary indentations 42, 42. In this case the secondary indentations associated with the outer primary indentations are toward the ends of the sleeve 4I. The secondary indentation associated with the middle primary indentation may be toward either end.

Fig. 7 shows the conductor ends 4U arranged in assembly position with a relatively loose lt within the oval sleeve 4l. of one of the primary indentations 42 is shown in Fig. 6, illustrating the manner in which plastic flow of the conductor metal eliminates the interstices between the conductors and sleeve.

Although I have shown my splices connecting solid conductors, which are rod-like in the sense that they are generally cylindrical, it is to be understood that my invention may be used to make equally eiective splices of stranded rodlike conductors,or of solid and stranded conductors. Furthermore, it is within the scope of my invention to have as many of the conductors as desired, even all of them, inserted in the sleeve from the same end.

Also, it is evident that as many conductors' as desiredV may be connected together in a single A transverse section I 4 splice, by this method. For example, effective splices have been made uniting six single or stranded conductors in one sleeve. With proper proportioning of sleeve sizes and thicknesses, even more conductors may be connected by a single sleeve. i

It is apparent that my invention, which features the conductor ends in lapped relation, has the advantage over compression splices in which the conductor ends are butted within a sleeve, in that my splice is only half as long forthe same strength and eectiveness. This is often of considerable importance where space is at a premium.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates that modifications may be made in details of construction and arrangementl and in matters of mere form without departing from the spirity of the invention.

vIclaim: i 1. The method of Isplicing rod-like electrical conductors which comprises juxtaposing the ends of separate conductors in parallel, side by side, overlapping relation to each other in a row within an encircling meta1 sleeve initially of generally oblong transverse shape, and compressing the flats of said sleeve between transverse opposed indenters, bringing said ilats into closer, substantially parallel, relation to each other until the sleeve and conductor ends therein are deformed between the indenters into a solid metallic mass.

2. In joining rod-like electrical conductors or the like by ailixlng an encircling sleeve of generally oblong transverse shape of ductile metal to the members to be joined, the method which comprises assembling the ends of separate conductors within the sleeve in parallel, side by side, overlapping relation to each other in a row within said encircling sleeve, and forming opposing transverse substantially parallel fiat indentations across the flats of said sleeve, with incidental deformation of the conductor ends into a solid metallic mass lling the interstices between the sleeve and conductors.

3. In joining rod-like electrical conductors or the like by aflixing an encircling sleeve initially of generally oblong transverse shape of ductile metal to the members to be joined, the method which comprises assembling the ends of separate conductors within the sleeve in parallel, side by side, overlapping relation to each other in a row encircled by said sleeve, and forming across the flat of said sleeve in a single operation a primary transverse flat indentation and a secondary fiat indentation adjacent and parallel thereto, the primary indentation being relatively deep and deforming the sleeve and conductors therein into a solid metallic mass, and the secondary indentation being relatively shallow and providing sufficient compression of the conductors to restrain transverse movement thereof relative to the sleeve.

4. In a multiconductor splice for ductile wires verse nat parallel indentatlons formed in said conducting members.

'moms A sANnms.

REFERENCES CITED The ,following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Mraz Apr. 23, 1935 Number Number Name Date Baxter Dec. 1, 1936 Dickie et al. Feb. 28, 1939 Metcalf Jan. 28, 1941 Burns Sept. 2, 1941 Ott Jan. 6, 1942 Klein Feb. 10, 1942 f Grypma Mar. 17, 1942 Graham Jan. 5, 1943 Klein Aug. 24, 1943 Warner et al. Aug. 24, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Italy Oct. 29, 1935,

Germany July 10, 1924 

